The Blue Whale Challenge, an online "game" wherein participants are given various tasks including inflicting self-harm and eventually committing suicide, has claimed lives of teenage kids around the world. In light of this, a Facebook page named "Pink Whale" is sending out tasks that encourage people to perform generous and positive acts in order to bring happiness to people's lives.
Originating in Brazil, "Baleia Rosa," which is Portuguese for "Pink Whale," already has around 45,000 followers in Instagram and 300,000 followers on Facebook. It posts challenges for its followers that encourage a positive attitude and spread love to other people.
The group who are admins of the page say they "believe that we are all capable of promoting love and good." They want to prove that the internet can be used to make good things go viral in social media. The initiative is spreading tasks such as "Make a generous act. Make someone smile," or "Unexpectedly tell your parents or another relative that you love them," and "Yell 'I love myself' in the middle of the street."
Started by a publicist and a graphic designer, the social media pages are in Portuguese. However, the website and mobile apps offer content in Portuguese, English, and Spanish.
Aside from the online support garnered by the initiative, it has also received favorable response from authorities, one of which is the government of Sao Paulo in Brazil. The initiative is trying to counteract the damages done by the "Blue Whale Challenge," a secret game administered by online curators that give participants daily tasks over 50 days, ending with telling the victim to take his or her own life.
"Blue Whale Challenge" is believed to have started in Russia in 2015. According to a report by Heavy, the challenge has claimed the lives of at least 130 teenagers outside of the U.S.
